The thing about objectivists is...


Listening is the essence and central activity of music appreciation. Listening is purely a result of the essential reality of subjectivity, and not that of any "objective reality" which is assumed to exist "out there." The human mind tends to rigidly cling to measurements, pedestrian concepts, and elaborate abstractions in attempt to simplify, subdivide, define, and categorize within the immensity of the realm of the experiential/subjective.

Over-reliance on concrete definitions and ideas serves to attach oneself to a sense of stability and security. The mind secretly hopes this will sufficiently ward off the uneasiness of feeling unsure, or off-balance, about one’s actual degree of comprehension regarding a given topic.

But what is it that is capable of registering sounds, recognition of patterns, recalling memory, and awareness? It’s pure subjectivity. It’s not the brain. That’s only an idea which is based on an entire system of definitions which define other definitions. The mind fortifies the boundaries of its interconnected structure by using circuitously self-reifying definitions.

Consider this: A description of a thing, proposed by the human mind, is only of that which a thing is not. A thing’s reality is not the same as its description.

What is it that is present in the pure silence during the instant just prior to sound waves propagating into the air space of the listening room? What is it which listens?

It’s subjective awareness, devoid of mental content. Your ideas aren’t listening, your experiential awareness is listening.

The more one thinks the same boring ideas one’s been thinking for years, the less one can listen. Subjectivity is the self-existent authority prior to the discernment of any quality, measured quantity, or the detection of that which we term "music". The deeper we can relax and sink into pure, silent subjectivity, the more deeply and purely we can listen and behold. Our subjective awareness becomes purer and less colored, our mind becomes more open and flexible, and experiential reality is seen to be the ever-present continuum which is of the greatest value of all.

128x128gladmo

A few people have asked about the relatedness of the term objectivist as used in the heading. The heading of the post was chosen to provoke interest. It isn’t tangential, though, as inference from the subject matter of the post can be drawn by the reader regarding the heading. Hope that helps.

Any -ist is a drag if they take their -ism too seriously.  I'd like to thank everyone for being different from me.

@djones51 

We know what time it is by the way we have decided to slice the Earth's rotation.

Exactly. Convention and consensus. We agree on what "bright" means in listening and we agree what a "minute" is in measurement. We stick to these norms and rules because we agree that sticking to them suits us. Rule making and following is a social practice.

 

The clock says that is is 9am. Is that the truth of what the actual time is? Or just what the clock is suggesting to be the truth, which is subjective?

But a clock is quite objective and has no opinion about what time it is.

I promised to refrain myself from posting any longer on this thread. But I cannot help but laugh very hard on this extremely super stupid analogy. You “objectivists“ dudes (or is it deaf?) cannot stop cracking me up.

 

Everyone has their own perception through which they view the discussion.  All comments are welcome.